Fraud
by szz
Summary: Modern AU; Korra is the successor of a large corporate business, and Amon is the CEO of her rival company. An ongoing fic that I work on and off on, and may or may not complete due to other things. Uploading what I have so far.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"We've won."

The president of EQUALIST Incorporated leaned back into his plush chair and closed his eyes, ignoring his secretary's voice as it rang out through the murky darkness of his office. He tightened his grip around the rim of the small, delicate glass and brought it to his lips, parting them to let the smooth, amber liquid burn down his throat. His assistant crossed the room briskly and appeared at his side, eyes flashing as he delivered the news with giddy anticipation.

"We've won, Amon."

Amon glanced up at him and smirked, already knowing the other's next words.

"Avatar Aang is dead."

Although the news came as no surprise to him, Amon could feel his heart swell up in triumph. He suppressed it immediately, maintaining a stoic demeanor as he heaved himself up out of his chair in a single, swift motion.

"We haven't won yet, Mr. Liu."

Liu pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, looking confused.

"But sir," he stammered, flinching under the cold gaze of his superior, "Aang was our biggest competitor – now that he's dead, there is nothing standing in our way. We can finally destroy AVATAR and its associates."

Amon stood with one hand in his pocket and the other lazily gripping his glass of scotch as he gazed out the window at the luminous skyline of Republic City. He narrowed his eyes.

"That is where you are mistaken, Liu," he took another swig of his drink and licked his lips, "That old geezer was not a force to be reckoned with. He knew better than to become ill and not think of appointing someone to inherit his precious company."

"You mean, he—" Liu gasped and his face paled.

Amon nodded.

"I believe his successor currently resides in the South," he murmured, setting the empty glass on the table, "And is on their way to Republic City, right now. Despite your everyday accusations of me being a lazy president, Mr. Liu, I always do my research."

He winked at Liu, whose face flushed a burning red.

"So," Liu straightened up, edging closer to Amon as he settled back into his seat, "How do you want to handle this unfortunate development, sir?"

"Considering that Aang's successor is arriving with the intention to take over the business immediately, I think that we may already be running out of time."

Amon tapped his fingers against the desk and gave his assistant a smug grin.

"It looks like we'll have to accelerate our plans."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Korra yawned and rubbed her temples, groaning in exhaustion as she slumped against the backseat of the car. She blinked sleepily, picking at the frayed edges of her jeans as she smacked her gum noisily.

"Are we there yet?" she sighed, brushing her bangs out of her sticky forehead, "It's so hot in this car. I just wanna get to wherever it is we're going and get whatever it is we're here for over with."

Her mother glared back at her from the passenger seat, furrowing her eyebrows in irritation.

"Korra, a great man has just passed away and you're complaining about the weather?" she scolded, ignoring her daughter's look of defiance, "Show some respect. Tonraq, talk some sense into your daughter!"

Korra's father chuckled light-heartedly, reaching over to clasp his large hand around his wife's.

"Don't be so hard on her, Senna," he gave her a reassuring smile and patted her softly, "Korra's just tired from our long flight – we all are. Let's just get to Tenzin's place quickly without all the fuss, alright, girls?"

Korra and Senna pouted and both mumbled in compliance, folding their arms as they fell back into their seats. Korra leaned her head against the cool glass of the car window, watching the sights of Republic City whiz by, perking up as she caught glimpse of a particularly tall and attractive, pearly white building at the center of a plaza – AVATAR Company.

"Who _was _this family friend of yours, anyway?" she asked, squinting at the glowing logo in interest as the car slowed at a red light, "Didn't you guys say that he worked for AVATAR?"

Her parents exchanged wide-eyed glances.

"_Worked _for AVATAR?" Tonraq turned to stare incredulously as Korra curled up against the leather seat, "Honey, he was _Avatar_ _Aang._ You have heard of him, haven't you?"

"Oh, yeah…" Korra tapped her chin and looked up at the familiar name, "I've heard of him. Didn't he get AVATAR to become the world's leading company by the time when he was twelve or something?"

Tonraq burst into hearty laughter.

"Well, he _did _take over the company when he was twelve, but not without the help of many friends and his predecessor. He got AVATAR to where it is today by the time he was twenty years old," he replied, smiling in admiration as he steered the car into a narrow road, "He'd been known in the business world as a prodigy ever since. His death was a huge tragedy for companies all over the world."

Korra hummed thoughtfully as their car descended into a dark parking lot, bouncing out of her seat in excitement as they came to a stop. Pulling her old backpack on before sliding out of their blue minivan, she bounded back to begin hauling their suitcases out of the trunk.

"I see you've arrived safely."

She froze at the unfamiliar voice, almost swallowing her now-tasteless gum as she whipped around to see a bald man clad in a baggy orange shirt towering above her. She choked as her eyes drifted to the large, blue arrow tattooed on his head.

"Oh, Tenzin!" Senna stepped up to embrace the man, looking like she was being engulfed in his billowing clothing, "It's good to see you again. How are you holding up?"

"Better than the others are," the man replied, smiling wryly as they separated, "I'm glad you're here."

He clasped hands with Tonraq firmly and they patted each other on the shoulders. Korra shrunk back awkwardly, grabbing the last suitcase out of the trunk and slamming it shut loudly. As she turned, her eyes locked with the bald man's.

"Korra, do you remember Uncle Tenzin?" Senna wrapped an arm around her, pushing her forward until she was standing directly in front of the man, "Be polite and say hello."

"Um, hi," Korra flashed the man a mixture of a grin and grimace, stuffing her hands into her pockets, "Sorry, but I don't really…"

Tenzin bowed accordingly, placing his hands behind his back and smiling sympathetically at her.

"That's perfectly alright," he chuckled, stroking his beard fondly, "You were barely a toddler the last time we met, so I do not blame you. Look at you now – you've already grown into a young lady. Time sure flies, doesn't it?"

Korra returned his smile in embarrassment, rubbing the back of her head as she eased back behind the broad back of her father. Her heart clenched painfully and she felt a pit in her stomach at Tenzin's remorseful tone – she suppressed this, biting her lip as a feeling of dread began creeping into her soul, chilling her to the very core.

"Pema, please hurry up, or we're going to be late to the funeral!"

Tenzin's face was sullen with dark bags under each eye that twitched when he spoke. Korra could see his shoulders sagging as he checked his watch impatiently, tapping his foot against the wooden floor of his studio apartment.

"I'm coming, dear, I'm coming!" Tenzin's pregnant wife waddled out of the bedroom in a black dress, prying a small boy off her leg, "Meelo, get off, Mommy can't walk with you clinging to me like that—"

The teen looked on with horror as Tenzin's children raced around the room, coming straight towards her. She yelped as the two youngest crashed into her legs, grabbing onto her black silk pants for dear life. The girl, Ikki, beamed up at her and rubbed her cheek against the smooth fabric.

"Hi! You're Korra, right? Are you in high school? Do you have a boyfriend? Can you do a handstand? 'Cuz Grandpa Aang could! He taught me how! Want me to show you?"

"Alright, that's enough Ikki," Tenzin sighed, taking her tiny hand in his and leading her to the front door, "Let's go to the car, everyone."

Korra breathed a sigh of relief and shot the man a grateful look as she followed the group down to the parking lot, feeling an overwhelming admiration for the man. He'd just lost his father, after all. She felt a tug at the hem of her shirt and looked down to see his eldest daughter, Jinora.

"I am sorry about Ikki and Meelo," she said solemnly, sighing as she patted her short bob in resignation, "The two of them have always been particularly…active, around guests. I don't think they understand the concept of death yet. They still think Grandpa Aang will come back someday."

Korra blinked at the child's mature tone and nodded in understanding.

"That's okay, Jinora. But what about you? I mean, I hear you and your grandpa were really close," she smoothed down her shirt anxiously, "You gonna be okay?"

Jinora shrugged, shuffling her feet as she looked down at the ground. Korra gave her a small smile and patted her shoulder comfortingly. The group squeezed into Tenzin's van, pressed up against each other uncomfortably in the small space. Tenzin looked back at them with a grim expression.

"Is everyone ready?"

They nodded wordlessly.

Tenzin placed his hands on the steering wheel and took a deep breath.

"Off we go, then."

Korra leaned against the back of a plush, ornate sofa and watched as the guests left the room one by one. She had to admit – Aang had some pretty unusual friends. She could not help but stare as an elderly man with scars covering the entire left side of his face brushed past her with a heartbroken expression, arm wrapped around a woman, presumably his wife, who rubbed his back in comfort. Another man with a wild mop on his head and face led an older, crying woman past, sighing as he ruffled her hair.

"There, there, sis," he whispered, reaching up to wipe his own tears.

Korra never liked black. She tried to avoid wearing it at all times, and would get agitated every time she was around it. Sighing and picking at the thread unraveling from the sofa's fabric, the young girl looked up to see her parents mingling with the other guests. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Tenzin standing with two women – one was old, whose wrinkled face was contorted in sorrow, and the other was middle aged and scowling, lips pursed into a thin line.

"What do you mean you haven't told her yet?!"

Korra flinched.

"Lin, please lower your voice," Tenzin grimaced, placing a hand on her shoulder, which she shrugged off, "Things have just been very hectic, is all – I was planning to tell her after the funeral."

"This is why I was against this in the first place," the woman – Lin, apparently – frowned and turned away from him, "She's much too young to be taking on Aang's job. Look at her! The kid probably doesn't even know what a stock is. Hell, she'd drive the company to the ground within two weeks!"

Korra reddened as she felt the three's eyes on her, anger and confusion swelling up in her chest. _Are they talking about me? _She turned and her eyes met with Tenzin's. He held the gaze with a sorrowful look.

"I'm sure Aang knew what he was doing, Lin," the elderly woman piped up, nodding knowingly, "Don't worry – Tenzin and I will handle this."

Lin huffed in defeat and turned on her heel, passing Korra as she headed toward the door. Their eyes met and Korra broke into a cold sweat.

"Don't get cocky, kid. You've done nothing to deserve this," the woman sneered, narrowing her green eyes and stomped out of the room.

Korra watched her leave with her mouth open, twitching with anger. _What's her problem? _She growled to herself, folding her arms over her chest in irritation.

"Lin is just a bit emotional today. Please don't think too hard about it."

Korra jumped at the voice and turned to see the elderly woman sauntering up to her, smiling sweetly as Tenzin followed suit.

"Oh," she nodded instinctively in respect and stepped backward, "Hello."

"Korra, this is my mother," Tenzin seemed nervous while he stroked his beard.

"Call me Katara," the woman said sagely, stepping forward to pull Korra in for a big hug, "It's nice to see you again, Korra. It's been a while."

Assuming she was also an old family friend whom she'd met as a baby, Korra returned the hug naturally, appreciating the warmth of the old woman.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she stated as they separated, "I wish I got to meet Aang. He seemed like a wonderful person. Talented, too."

Katara merely smiled sadly in response, holding Korra's hands in her own wrinkled, calloused ones. Korra immediately felt safe with her. Tenzin edged closer, looking nervous as he tugged and smoothed his clothing.

"Korra – well, uh, I need, I need to tell you something," he coughed, scratching his head sheepishly as Korra raised an eyebrow, "About Aang – um, well – this is going to be strange for you to hear, but—"

"What is it?"

Tenzin's voice drifted off into a tiny mumble. Katara looked at him expectantly.

"Oh, Mother…She's so _young_," he sighed, "I don't want to make her go through something like this."

"I'm sure your father would not want to burden such a young girl either, Tenzin," Katara agreed reluctantly as she frowned, "But she needs to know."

Korra blinked and tensed as she glanced back to look for her parents, but found the room totally empty. She looked back at Tenzin with wide, uneasy eyes as she her fingernails dug into her thighs. Katara turned to her and folded her arms beneath her robes.

"When you were born, Aang requested that you be his successor after his passing."

The world around her froze as the woman's voice melted into a low humming. Korra began finding it hard to breath. She staggered backward.

"Your parents have known this for many years and are prepared for allowing you to assume your role as president of the company," Tenzin's voice was muffled as he reached over to place a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I know this will take some time to sink in, but please understand…"

"I—"

Korra gripped the edge of the sofa to steady herself as she gaped up at him in horror. Shaking her head repeatedly as she began edging away from the two, she turned, suppressing the nausea gripping her throat, and sprinted out of the room, wobbling in her heels.

"Korra, wait!"

She ignored Tenzin's cry, squeezing her eyes shut as she stumbled into the empty hallway, running her hands along the wall to guide her away from the room.

_President…_

_Company…_

_Aang…_

_**Aang's successor.**_

Korra came to a stop, leaning against the wall and burying her face in her hands_. _She groaned, trying to stop her trembling, and felt the neat bun her mother tied up for her that morning become undone as her messy, brown locks cascaded down her shoulders. She took in a deep, shuddering breath as she threw an arm over her face.

"Are you alright, Miss?"

Korra's breath hitched in her throat as she looked up to see a man clad in a black suit with his hands hanging casually in his pockets, staring down at her. She gulped and said nothing.

"Quite a tragedy isn't it?" the man heaved a big sigh, running a hand through his hair and glancing over at her, "Avatar Aang was a great man."

"Um, yeah," Korra straightened up, biting her lip, "He was."

The man made her feel uneasy and she edged back, eyeing him suspiciously. He simply smiled nonchalantly.

"You look familiar, Miss," he cocked his head slightly, "If I am not mistaken, I believe you were seated near the late Avatar's youngest son?"

"Oh, yeah…" Korra sighed, clasping hand around her other arm and shrugging at the mention of Tenzin, "He invited us to come to Republic City. We flew down here from the South just for the funeral."

The man froze for a split second, then relaxed and smiled amiably at her.

"I see," he hesitated, furrowing his eyebrows, "And you are?"

"Uh, my name's Korra, if that's what you mean," Korra rubbed the fabric of her shirt, "Tenzin's just a family friend of my parents."

She heard a sudden intake of breath and looked up at the man, whose misty blue eyes flashed dangerously. His face reverted back into a smile, and she wondered if she'd imagined it.

"So, Aang had chosen a mere _teenager_ to succeed him," he mumbled to himself, "How very like him."

"Did you say something?" Korra turned, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

The man blinked and chuckled, shaking his head.

"It must have been your imagination."

Korra shivered involuntarily.

"I suggest you return to your unfinished conversation, _Avatar Korra_," the man said, smirking as he turned around the corner, "We shall meet again soon."

He disappeared before Korra could say anything – she stood there, frozen in place as the two words reverberated in her ears: _Avatar Korra. _

She began to tremble as she glanced back toward the way she came, clenching her fists as her brain began to process what she'd just heard. Ignoring the throbbing pain in her feet, Korra turned and began treading back to the room. They looked up as she shuffled in.

"Korra?" Tenzin whispered, looking up at her from where he was sitting on the sofa, "Are you alright?"

"I understand."

Tenzin's eyes widened at her statement and Katara smiled knowingly.

"If Aang wanted me to be his successor, then…" Korra took a deep breath and stepped forward, "That's what I'll be. When do I start?"

Smiling as Katara headed over for another hug, Korra gulped and let the tears flow freely down her face, already preparing herself for what was to come.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"I totally messed up, didn't I?"

Korra slumped against the wall, twitching in embarrassment as Tenzin sighed beside her.

"It could have gone better," her mentor admitted reluctantly, pinching the bridge of his nose in anguish, "But considering that it was your first time public speaking, I'd say this was a great success."

Korra groaned, rolling her eyes as she sunk lower down the wall. It had been several weeks since she'd began her role as the new CEO of AVATAR, and things were not going as well as she planned. After tripping over her own two feet on her way up to the podium, she began stammering nervously, completely wrecking the speech Tenzin had helped write for her inauguration as the new president of the company as well as making a fool of herself in front of a huge group of people. She had tried to take on her responsibilities like a mature adult – but it was hard when she still had to grow accustomed to a new home and a new life.

"I miss my parents," she mumbled, fighting back tears as she tugged at her stiff blazer, "And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss school, too."

"I understand, Korra. It must be hard on you to suddenly leave your life and friends behind in the South," Tenzin placed a hand on her shoulder in sympathy, "I wish there was another way. However, I am always here if you need anyone to talk to."

Korra flashed a genuine smile of gratitude at him and nodded, wincing at her stiff shoulders. Rubbing them softly, she arched her back and stretched, groaning in exhaustion.

"Alright well, I'm kind of tired of all this business stuff. I'm off to explore the city and maybe get some lunch," she said, pushing off the wall and heading to the set of elevators at the end of the room, "See ya, Tenzin."

"Wha—Korra, there's still much to do today! I haven't even taught you how to lead a conference yet," Tenzin spluttered, his bald head turning a deep shade of red, "You can't just _leave!_"

Without turning back, Korra simply shrugged as she punched the lift button.

"I'm the president now, Tenzin," she retorted smugly, grinning as she stepped into the elevator, whipping around just in time to see her mentor gaping at her in shock, "Which means you gotta listen to whatever I say, right? And I say President Korra needs a break. Later!"

She winked as the elevator doors slid closed, bursting into a fit of giggles as Tenzin began marching towards her in a fiery rage. She sighed and closed her eyes in victory. _Maybe being a boss of a multi-million dollar company wasn't so bad, after all._

Amon heaved a great sigh of relief and pushed himself out of the chair, rubbing the back of his neck. _It's finally over. _He opened his eyes wearily as his new associate made his way over to him, reaching out a hand.

"I'm glad we have reached an understanding, Mr. Sato," he flashed a charming smile as he shook the other's hand enthusiastically, "We look forward to working with you and the rest of Future Industries from now on."

The man merely nodded with his lips pursed, reaching up to brush some stray hair out of his forehead.

"Always a pleasure, Amon. EQUALIST will be a valuable partner for us," Hiroshi Sato replied stiffly, coughing violently into a handkerchief, "But I'm afraid I must be on my way. I have other things in my schedule that I must attend to."

"Of course," Amon said amiably, placing his hands behind his back and nodding at Liu to open the door, "Until next time, Mr. Sato."

Hiroshi grunted and tugged on his lapels, shuffling toward the exit until he froze at the person stepping through the door. His face lit up as a beautiful, young woman pattered in.

"Asami!" he exclaimed, leaping forward to wrap his arms lovingly around the girl, "How have you been, sweetie?"

"Hi Daddy! I'm just here to deliver something to Mr. Amon," Asami chirped merrily, flipping her ponytail as she turned to nod respectfully at her boss.

Amon twitched as Hiroshi scoffed and shot him a glare, suppressing his rising urge sock the man in the face.

"Asami, why do you insist on working here? Daddy's always told you that you are always welcome to work at Future Industries instead."

"I _like _it here, Dad," Asami edged away from her father and rolled her eyes, pouting, "Anyway, I'm just an intern, and besides, I don't see why it matters now. Here you go, Mr. Amon – you need to sign these."

"A great intern, might I add," Amon remarked, reaching over to accept the papers in her hand, "Your daughter has been of immense help to me this year, Mr. Sato. Thank you, Asami."

Hiroshi's frown deepened at this as he checked his watch irritably.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat about trivial matters, but I must get going. I will see you soon, sweetie."

Amon's forced smile disappeared as soon as Hiroshi stepped out the door. Slamming the papers down on the conference table, he whipped a pen out of his breast pocket and began scribbling violently.

"Spirits. _He_ isn't exactly the easiest man to get along with, is he?" he mumbled, narrowing his eyes as he put his signature down a fifth time, "I was ready to throw him out the window by the time everything was done."

"My father can be…difficult, at times," Asami chuckled sheepishly, twirling a strand of hair in her fingers as she glanced at the clock, "Those negotiations sure took a while, didn't they? It's already past noon."

"Well, if he had agreed to our terms without all the fuss, we would have been out of here sooner," Liu quipped, stepping forward and shooting Asami an annoyed look.

"Oh, don't you blame this on me. Future Industries is now a part of EQUALIST now, anyway," Asami smirked, raising an eyebrow at the spectacled man, "Or are you still mad at me because I _interrupted _you two this morning?"

Liu's face flushed a deep crimson.

"What?! But—how—how did you—"

"Mr. Liu," Asami said smoothly, grinning at the man's reaction, "There is not a single employee in EQUALIST who does not know about you two."

Ignoring the two's immature squabble in the back, Amon stacked the papers neatly and returned the pen to his pocket, straightening up with a soft groan. Reaching over to pull on his jacket, he began heading towards the door, dropping the packet into his young receptionist's hands.

"Oh, thank you sir!" Asami beamed, hugging the papers to her chest, "Are you heading out now?"

"Yeah. Thought I'd get something to eat before returning to deal with the PRO-B business," Amon sighed at the thought of coming back to work, "You should do the same, Asami. It's going to be a long day. Come, Liu."

Liu jogged after him obediently, glasses bouncing against the bridge of his nose as they stepped into the elevator.

"It's a good thing that's all over and done with, isn't it, sir?" his secretary asked, tossing his black mop of hair out of his face, "With Future Industries by our side, we can finally put our plans into place."

"Yes," Amon agreed, sliding on his dark aviators on as they walked out into the lobby, raising a hand and nodding at his employees who greeted him respectfully, "Everything is going according to plan."

The sun burned their skin as they approached Amon's red convertible. Slamming the door shut before putting the key into ignition, Amon smoothed his hair back, trying to quell the aching emptiness in his stomach.

"Look, sir. Isn't that the new president of AVATAR over there on the street?"

Amon's head snapped toward the direction Liu was pointing. Indeed – the young girl was strolling slowly, shuffling her feet as she walked. Her head was down and Amon could see that her eyebrows were furrowed, as if she was worried about something.

"Should we keep an eye on her?" Liu squinted, strapping himself into the passenger seat of the car, "She's our new competitor, after all."

Amon paused.

"No," he finally stated, starting the car and backing out of the parking space.

He took one last glance at her as she rounded a street corner.

"Leave her be."

Korra lifted her head to enjoy the warm sun shining down upon her, closing her eyes and sighing loudly. After stripping off that stiff suit Tenzin always made her wear and changing into her usual blue tank top and jeans, she finally felt like herself again. Walking aimlessly around the city was a hell of a lot better than being cooped up in that stuffy office all day – Korra frowned at this, head drooping down to stare at the pavement.

"Business is really hard," she mumbled to herself, kicking half-heartedly at a pebble, "Even an idiot could tell that I'm not cut out for this stuff."

She had questioned most of what Tenzin told her after she returned to the funeral that day – _How did I not know about this before? Why didn't I ever meet Aang? How am I supposed to deal with all of this? _

_Why me?_

Groaning as her feet slid noisily on the concrete pavement, Korra tugged at one of her pigtails, attempting to drown out the endless throbbing in her head. She jumped as sounds of surprised pedestrians filled her ears, lifting her head up to turn around.

"Sorry, coming through, out of the way! Beep beep!"

Korra turned just in time as a blur of green collided head-on with her, knocking the breath out of her as she fell back onto the ground with a pained yelp. She gulped for air, struggling against whomever – _whatever _was on her.

"Off – get off!" she gasped, attempting to wriggle out from beneath, "I can't breathe!"

The pressure disappeared immediately and she inhaled sharply, relishing in the oxygen filling her lungs – she stared up, wide-eyed, at the blue, cloudless sky in shock.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry!"

She felt strong hands wrap around her wrists and pull her up in a single, swift motion. She blinked and stumbled forward into a soft, cushy chest. Stepping back immediately with a rising blush, Korra glared at the person in front of her, who was patting the dust off the front of his shirt.

"You could have watched where you were going," she snapped, rubbing the small of her back in pain, "You almost killed me!"

The boy looked about her age and was dressed quite sloppily – though, Korra wasn't one to judge in terms of fashion. He had a wild look in his vivid green eyes, as if still recovering from the collision, and was apologizing repeatedly as he scanned the ground around them.

"I'm so sorry – this is _all_ my fault, I was just chasing after Pabu – where are you, Pabu?!"

"Who the hell is Pabu?" Korra demanded, still heated from her fall.

She yelped as she felt something wet poke the back of her leg and looked down to see a furry, red creature nuzzling her foot.

"Pabu! There you are!" the boy exclaimed, bending down to scoop the rodent up into his arms, grinning as it wrapped itself around his neck, "Don't just run off like that, buddy!"

Korra put her hands on her hips and pouted, raising an eyebrow at him as he reached up to scratch his pet under the chin. She cleared her throat loudly. His head snapped up and he squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment, chuckling sheepishly.

"Oh jeez, where are my manners?" he sighed, opening his eyes to look at her properly for the first time, "I am so sorr—"

His jaw dropped and his words caught in his throat as his eyes met hers. Korra stared at him evenly, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. The boy's face turned pink as he broke their gaze, coughing and spluttering incoherently.

"Sorry, uh, ahem, sorry, I'm sorry," he stammered, rubbing the back of his neck before smoothing his hair back with both hands, "My fault. Totally my fault. What was I thinking, bumping into a beautiful girl like you? I'm an idiot. A huge idiot."

He laughed shakily.

"Name's Bolin, by the way," he shrugged, reaching out a hand tentatively, "Can you ever forgive me?"

Korra burst into laughter at the boy's words, clasping his hand in hers tightly and shaking it up and down.

"Whatever, Bolin," she replied good-naturedly, anger melting away as quickly as it came, "It's no big deal. I'll see you around."

Bolin's face crumpled into a look of despair as she turned to leave, but quickly became a hopeful grin as she stopped and looked back at him.

"By the way, do you know where the park is?" she asked, stuffing her hands in her pockets, "I think I'm lost."

"Oh! A tourist, are ya?" Bolin pressed his palms together, twiddling his thumbs and smiling brightly, "Fear not, fair maiden! I'll gladly escort you through the great concrete jungle of Republic City."

Korra scoffed and agreed, rolling her eyes as she fell into step with her new friend as they headed down the street.

"What _is _that thing, anyway?" she pointed at the animal resting on the boy's shoulder, rubbing it softly on its head, "I've never seen anything like it before."

"A fire ferret!" Bolin declared proudly, puffing out his chest, "One of the last in the world."

Korra hesitated, wondering whether he was being serious or joking.

"If it's endangered, what is it doing with _you?_" she asked incredulously, "Shouldn't it be in some animal reserve or something?"

Bolin stopped and turned to gape at her.

"What?" he gawked, shoulders slumping in shock, "No way!"

_Is this kid for real?_ Korra shook her head and pushed the boy forward, looking around the street, spotting a patch of trees in the distance.

"There it is," Bolin said, pointing toward them, "Why are you headed to the park, anyways?"

"I've wanted to check it out ever since I got here! My dad used to tell me about how cool Republic City Park was when I was little," Korra replied fondly, ignoring the pang in her chest, "I've always dreamed of standing on the famous arch bridge, or sitting by the pond to feed the ducks or something. There aren't many animals left back in the South – all of them are pretty much extinct. Except penguins, maybe, but I've never really liked 'em."

She giggled at the memory, sighing sadly as she thought back to life back in her hometown. Bolin cocked his head at her and pouted, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, uh, I know a place where we can buy breadcrumbs," he piped up, patting her softly, "And there's usually someone selling skewers down by the bridge around now…"

Korra brightened at this, turning to beam at him like a rambunctious child. His heart skipped a beat as she whooped excitedly and took his hand, pulling him into the entrance of the park.

"Oh stop sulking. They were fine, weren't they?" Korra gave a hearty laugh, slapping Bolin playfully on the shoulder as he scowled.

"That's not how you feed ducks! You could have hurt them!" Bolin protested, sighing as his shoulders slumped, "And because of you, the mama duck started attacking me and—hey, don't _laugh_!"

Korra chuckled, throwing an arm around his shoulders as they shuffled through the soft grass of the park.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," she looked up at him and pouted, "I'll try not to kill the ducks next time. Anyway! Didn't you say they sold skewers here? I totally forgot about having lunch, and I'm starving."

She rubbed her empty stomach and Bolin laughed in defeat, leading her over to the large bridge in the center of the park.

"Should be around here, somewhere," he mumbled, scanning the area for the familiar skewer stand, "There it is!"

The two scampered up to the booth, eyes widening at the vast array of meats in front of them.

"Wow," Korra breathed, clinging to Bolin's shirt in anticipation, "We'll take one of everything, please!"

"That'll be twenty yuans," the saleslady said gruffly, blinking lazily at them.

"Uh," Korra froze, her smile fading into a grimace, "I don't have any money."

"Then what good are you to me?!"

She stumbled back as the saleslady slammed her fists down and glared at her angrily, wide-eyed in shock.

"Calm down, I've still got some cash left," Bolin chirped, reaching into his pocket and producing some crumpled bills, "Though, I don't think I can afford buying one of everything. We'll just take two of these, and two of these…"

Flinching at the saleslady's piercing glare on her back as they retreated toward the arch bridge, Korra exhaled loudly, taking a bite out of her skewer.

"Don't worry about her, she's always like that," Bolin assured her, chewing loudly, "But I gotta admit she makes the best skewers in Republic City!"

Korra hummed in agreement, leaning against the side of the bridge as they looked out toward the water. The sun was beginning to set in the distance, casting its warm, orange rays on them as the sky turned a shade a pink.

"This is nice," she smiled, popping another piece of meat into her mouth, "It's been a while since I've done something like this."

Bolin glanced at her, smiling dreamily.

"You said you were from the South, right? What brings you to Republic City?" he propped himself up with his elbows as Pabu slid off his shoulders onto the stone surface of the bridge.

"Uh…It's complicated," Korra mumbled irritably, "Anyway, things have been crazy since I got here, so it was really nice of you to take me around town today. Thanks, Bolin."

A couple of businessmen in plain black suits strolled past them, speaking softly to each other. Korra turned and perked up when she noticed the all-too-familiar logo sewed into their clothing.

"AVATAR's a pretty big company, huh," she murmured, hugging herself in the chilly evening breeze.

"Oh, yeah! AVATAR's huge," Bolin said, licking his fingers, "They own practically everything in this city. My brother works at one of their power plants, and there're like five of their buildings near where I live."

Korra said nothing.

"And they also own that building over there, and that one there," Bolin pointed over at the skyline of the city, "And my brother told me they're building a memorial for Aang over near there.

"I'm pretty sure you've heard already, but the president died recently," he continued nonchalantly, bringing his arms back to his sides, "It was really sad. He'd been around for ever since I can remember. Must've been so stressed out all the time, what with all the businesses he had to deal with."

"Tell me about it," Korra kicked at the ground dejectedly, "I'm his successor."

Bolin blinked and parted his lips to speak before words began spilling out of Korra's mouth before she realized what she was saying – she told him everything, gesturing wildly and raising her voice angrily, complaining about Tenzin and his stupid lessons, groaning about how she missed being in school and hanging out with her friends, and how the first break from work she's had in weeks was today. By the time the last word escaped her lips, Korra's face was wet with angry tears and she was sniffling softly, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand as she looked up at the darkening sky. She turned her head to see Bolin gawking at her in bewilderment.

"No…way. _You're_ the new Avatar? _The _Avatar?!"

Korra almost burst into laughter at his expression, wiping her nose lightly and nodding at him with a small smile. Bolin slid down the side of the bridge until he was squatting on the ground.

"Wow," he gulped, slapping himself lightly on the cheeks, "I couldn't believe it at first, but wow."

He looked up at her.

"Y'know, I've only said this to a few, but you're probably the most interesting girl I've ever crashed into on the street. And I mean it this time."

Korra laughed out loud and covered her mouth, blushing slightly.

"So you mean to say you crash into unsuspecting women often?"

Bolin grinned cheekily and shook his head, heaving himself up with a grunt. Korra raised an eyebrow as he began to laugh.

"What?" she nudged him playfully.

"I just realized," he sighed as if he couldn't believe himself, "I just spent an entire day with you and I don't even know your name."

"Well you're a bit late to be asking me _that_," Korra rolled her eyes, giggling, "Anyway, I should get going. It's getting dark, and Tenzin'll give me hell if I'm late for dinner. And I know the way home from here, so don't worry about me. Thanks for today. I had fun. "

She pushed herself off the bridge and began treading down toward the exit of the park and turned back to grin at him.

"It's Korra, by the way," she quipped, "K-O-R-R-A. Korra."

She started walking.

"Korra?"

His voice was barely a whisper, but she heard it loud and clear. She stopped.

"Promise me we'll see each other again," Bolin's voice was laced with hope as it rang out behind her, "Promise me."

Korra swiveled around to look at him with wide, cerulean eyes.

"I promise," she said softly.

Bolin watched the receding form with a small smile. Pabu licked his cheek and squeaked affectionately as a sign to get home – Bolin reached up to pat the creature on the head and turned to walk the other way, putting his hands in his pockets as he looked up at the sky.

"Korra," he murmured, and couldn't suppress the dreamy giggle that erupted through his lips.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The loud, deafening sound of electricity crackled in his ears as he suppressed the urge to wipe the sweat coating his forehead beneath his thick helmet. He bit his lip, watching the blue flames lick at the searing metal, welding the two severed pieces together into one.

"Yo, Mako! You done repairing the generator yet? The boss'll kill us if it's not working properly when he gets back."

The flames disappeared as the teen stepped away from the machine, lifting the thick armor off his face and nodding at his co-worker and giving him a thumbs-up. Ripping the tattered, black gloves off his sweaty hands, Mako sighed, lifting his head to enjoy the little air conditioning the factory had. He smiled wearily as his supervisor patted him affectionately on the back.

"Nice job, kid. Now get outta here and be back by three. The bus leaves in five minutes so you better hurry."

"Thanks Chang," Mako waved, running a hand through his tousled hair as he jogged out of the power plant, throwing his cozy red scarf over his shoulders.

He spotted the bus on the other side of the street and he broke into a sprint, praying he wouldn't miss it. He didn't hear the hum of an oncoming vehicle through the pounding in his ears.

"Oof!"

He heard the screeching of tires against asphalt as he fell to the ground – he groaned, pain shooting up the side of his arm as he lay there, heart falling as he watched the bus cruise away. He cursed under his breath, trembling as he sat up, rubbing his throbbing head in anguish.

"Oh no, I'm sorry! I didn't see you," a woman's voice cried over the gentle hum of an engine.

Mako twitched in annoyance, lifting his head and squinting in the hot afternoon sun at the approaching figure dismounting from a cream-colored Vespa.

"How could you not see me? I mean I was right _there_!" he grumbled, brushing the grit off his hands and wincing at the scrapes.

Pulling her helmet off and tossing her voluminous black hair, the girl bent down gracefully and latched onto his arm, pulling him up and apologizing repeatedly.

"I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you? Are you alright? Ugh, I'm such an idiot."

Her tone was of genuine remorse, and Mako sighed, unable to stay angry at a complete stranger. It _was _an accident, after all.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he assured her, flashing a small smile, "My brother hits me harder than that on a daily basis. Don't worry about it."

Upon closer inspection, Mako could see that the woman was beautiful, complete with big, emerald doe eyes and full, scarlet lips. Her face was a light pink as she pressed a hand to her forehead, grinning sheepishly.

"I'm so embarrassed," she mumbled, staring up at him with furrowed brows, "Let me make this up to you somehow."

Mako was never one to accept such offers – but he'd missed his bus, and was still hurting from getting hit by oncoming traffic, so what the hell.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as she slid her helmet back over her dark locks.

"How about I treat you to lunch?" she replied, cocking her head towards her scooter, "Here, hop on. I know a nice café nearby."

Mako hesitated but shrugged in compliance, swinging his legs over the backseat of the Vespa as the girl revved up the engine.

"You might want to hold on tight," she giggled, glancing back at his blushing face, "We wouldn't want another accident, would we?"

Mako laughed shakily and nodded, placing his hands chastely on her hips and keeping his body a respectable distance from hers. The engine rumbled as they shot forward, merging into the main road toward the city.

"I'm Asami, by the way."

"Mako. "

Green eyes met amber ones, and their hearts skipped a beat, if only for a moment.

Cheerful humming and the tapping of heels echoed through the office as Asami waltzed through the top floor of the building with a large stack of paper in her hands. Pushing through the doors to Amon's office, she announced her arrival with a big smile.

"I'm back!"

She stepped through just as Liu stumbled back from the table in haste, face reddening in embarrassment as Amon remained unfazed, straightening his tie as he stood up to greet her.

"Asami."

"Good afternoon, sir," she bowed politely, brushing the hair out of her eyes as she cast Liu an amused glance, "I'm sorry for interrupting…_again_."

"You. Didn't. Interrupt. Anything," Liu seethed, glasses flashing as he stood rigidly by his superior.

"Whatever you say, Mr. Liu," she smirked, stepping forward to place the stack of paper onto Amon's desk, "These came for you, Mr. Amon."

Amon nodded, reaching over to sift through it, rubbing his temples with his free hand.

"You seem…happier than you usually are," he observed, eyes flitting over the text skillfully as he read, "Did something special happen?"

"Always the keen one, Mr. Amon," Asami blushed, tugging at the hem of her skirt as she smiled slyly to herself, "I might have met a boy on my way to lunch."

Amon raised an eyebrow and the corners of his lips twitched, keeping his gaze on the work in front of him. Liu cocked his head at her, rolling his eyes.

"A _boy_?" he asked dubiously, sighing as he shook his head in dismay, "And what about this boy makes you so much more unbearably optimistic than usual?"

"His name is Mako, and he is just the funniest, most talented, and honest guy I've ever met," Asami bubbled happily, giggling as she twirled around the office, "Oh, Liu. I think I'm in love."

Liu made a gagging noise and scoffed, folding his arms across his chest.

"Well, just don't get too invested in this boy," he warned, peering over Amon's shoulders, "Teenage love never lasts, after all."

Asami opened her mouth to retort when Amon held up a hand to silence his two subordinates. Pushing himself up from his chair, he eyed them both and tapped the edge of his desk with a pen.

"I have begun making preparations," he began, "We have the connections we need, and Future Industries has agreed to help us take down PRO-B. There is much to do, and I'm going to need you both to stay late tonight. Understood?"

Wordlessly, Asami and Liu exchanged glances before nodding obediently. Amon took a sip of his drink and gazed out the window with a faint smile on his face.

"It's about time for AVATAR's reign in this city to end."

The door creaked open as Mako stepped through the door, juggling bags of groceries while he slammed it shut with his foot.

"Bo, I'm home," he called, struggling to maintain his balance while hobbling up the stairs into the loft, "And I brought you your favorite dumplings!"

He was greeted with silence and he raised an eyebrow, heading towards the kitchen to drop the paper bags onto the counter before turning to see Bolin sprawled out on their beat-up couch, smiling dreamily as Pabu scampered over to greet him.

"Bolin?" Mako pattered over, scrutinizing his brother curiously and poking him on the shoulder.

Bolin blinked and yelped as he scrambled back into the cushions, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

"Mako! When did you get back?" he sat up, sniffing the air and grinning, "Do I smell dumplings?"

"Yeah. Over there," Mako smirked and gestured over to the bags on the kitchen counter before falling back onto the couch beside Pabu, "You okay bro? You seem out of it today."

Bolin shrugged, digging his hands into the paper bags and rustling them around until he felt the familiar heat of the dumplings. He licked his lips in anticipation as he pulled out a neat bundle and collapsed back onto the couch beside his brother. Popping one in his mouth before offering the bag to Mako, he chewed slowly, savoring the salty, oily goodness.

"When am I ever _not _okay?" he asked happily, putting his arms behind his head as Pabu curled up in his lap, "Thanks for the dumplings, Mako. You're the best. How was work?"

"Same as always," Mako sighed, throwing his head back to stuff a particularly large dumpling into his mouth, "Though, something happened that made today a _very_ good one."

"Really? Me too!" Bolin sat forward, excitement gleaming in his eyes, "Oh, but you first."

"Nah, it's not anything _really _special," Mako shook his head and mumbled with his mouth full, "You can go first."

"No, no! You go."

"Bolin, just say it."

"I'm not telling until you do!"

"Bo…"

Pabu's ears twitched at the sounds of voices and footsteps upstairs. They exchanged glares, pouting as silence fell over the room, opening their mouths to speak at the same time.

"_**I met the most incredible girl today."**_

They gaped at each other, dumbstruck, and burst into laughter.

"No way! _You _met a girl? Who you actually _like_?" Bolin chortled, almost choking on what was in his mouth, "Please tell me there's a catch. You _hate _relationship stuff, Mako."

"I know, but…" Mako shrugged, smiling at the memory of the raven-haired girl, "This one's different. I feel like I can be myself around her, I don't know…I really want to have a chance with her. She's just so witty, and intelligent, and charming—"

He stopped when Bolin whistled loudly and patted him playfully on the shoulder, rolling his eyes as he bit into another dumpling.

"And you?" he questioned, changing the subject as he shot his brother a teasing look, "You've never described any of the girls you meet as _incredible_ before."

He watched as Bolin sighed dramatically, sliding off the couch and onto the old, wooden floor.

"Her name's Korra," his brother crooned, closing his green eyes and clutching his chest, "And she's the most beautiful and fun girl I've ever met. Seriously!"

Mako raised an eyebrow at him and chuckled, gesturing at him to continue.

"She just moved here from the South, and get this, Mako – she's _never _fed a duck before."

"Never?" Mako asked incredulously, crumpling up the now-empty paper bag.

"Never," Bolin replied in all-seriousness, then smiled again as he plopped back onto the couch beside him, "Or eaten pork skewers. Said she's only ever had Southern food. Man, that girl is missing out."

"Well, I'm happy for you Bo," Mako said, shuffling into the kitchen to put away the groceries, "You're gonna have to introduce me to my future sister-in-law sometime."

"Same to you, big bro," Bolin winked, ruffling his hair as he brushed past him to help, "Uh – you might have to wait a while though, because I forgot to ask her for her number."

Mako groaned loudly and grinned, shaking his head in disbelief as he emptied the bags mechanically.

"So," Bolin edged closer, nudging him as he handed him a stack of canned soup, "Tell me more about this mystery woman of yours."

His brother scratched his head sheepishly before opening his mouth to speak with a smile.

"Well, her name is Asami…"


End file.
